PMO Lead

DBD International; Warrington; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 20% bonus

25 days holiday

Enhanced pension

Private health insurance

Private dental

Job summary

DBD International is seeking an experienced PMO Lead to establish and lead a PMO from the ground up within the nuclear industry. You will shape governance, controls and reporting to support complex project delivery.

You will work with senior leadership and multidisciplinary teams to implement best-practice processes, drive improvement, and embed a culture of effective planning, transparency and delivery excellence across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a PMO Lead or equivalent senior PMO role.
• Experience establishing or significantly developing a PMO function.
• Nuclear industry experience with governance requirements.
• Strong knowledge of project controls: planning, scheduling, cost, risk, change & reporting.
• Experience developing PMO processes, governance, reporting standards & MIS.
• Ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders across multidisciplinary environments.
• Strategic mindset with hands-on process building and delivery focus.
• Excellent communication, organisational and leadership skills.
• Current, valid UK Security Check (SC) clearance.

Responsibilities

• Build and establish the PMO: design, develop and implement a PMO from scratch with structure and operating model.
• Develop governance frameworks: governance procedures, reporting structures and assurance aligned to nuclear standards.
• Project controls and performance: implement controls across schedules, budgets, risks, issues, dependencies and changes.
• Reporting and insights: create management information, dashboards and health reports for senior stakeholders.
• Stakeholder management: align with senior leadership and multidisciplinary teams on priorities and delivery objectives.
• Risk and issue management: robust approaches to identifying, assessing and escalating risks and interdependencies.
• Continuous improvement: identify opportunities to improve maturity and standardise processes.
• PMO capability development: define resources, grow the PMO team as portfolio evolves.
• Compliance and assurance: align with nuclear sector standards, regulatory expectations and security policies.
• Leadership and influence: promote best practices and drive accountability and collaboration.

Skills

PMO leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Governance

Continuous improvement

Job description

Role summary: We are seeking an experienced PMO Lead to establish, develop and lead a Project Management Office from the ground up within the nuclear industry.

This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive and strategically minded professional to shape the PMO function, introduce best-practice project controls and governance, and establish the processes, tools and frameworks needed to support the successful delivery of complex nuclear projects.

Working closely with senior leadership, project managers and multidisciplinary teams, you will play a pivotal role in driving consistency, improving project performance and embedding a culture of effective planning, reporting and continuous improvement across the organisation.

We are looking for someone who combines strong PMO leadership experience with a solid understanding of the nuclear environment, and who can balance strategic oversight with the practical delivery of a new PMO capability.

What You Will Be Doing

• Build and establish the PMO: Design, develop and implement a PMO function from scratch, defining its structure, operating model, processes and ways of working.
• Develop governance frameworks: Establish consistent project management standards, governance procedures, reporting structures and assurance processes aligned with nuclear industry requirements.
• Project controls and performance: Implement effective controls across project schedules, budgets, resources, risks, issues, dependencies and change management.
• Reporting and insights: Develop management information, dashboards and performance reports to provide senior stakeholders with clear visibility of project health, progress and delivery risks.
• Stakeholder management: Work closely with senior leadership, project managers, engineering teams and wider stakeholders to ensure alignment on project priorities and delivery objectives.
• Risk and issue management: Establish robust approaches to identifying, assessing, monitoring and escalating project risks, issues and interdependencies.
• Continuous improvement: Identify opportunities to improve project delivery maturity, standardise processes and embed best practice across the organisation.
• PMO capability development: Define resource requirements, develop team capabilities and support the growth of the PMO as the project portfolio evolves.
• Compliance and assurance: Ensure PMO processes support relevant nuclear sector standards, regulatory expectations, security requirements and organisational policies.
• Leadership and influence: Champion effective project management practices and drive accountability, transparency and collaboration across project teams.

Formal qualifications or training:

• Proven experience in a PMO Lead, Head of PMO, PMO Manager or equivalent senior PMO role.
• Demonstrable experience of establishing or significantly developing a PMO function, ideally from the ground up.
• Previous experience working within the nuclear industry, with an understanding of its project delivery environment and governance requirements.
• Strong knowledge of project controls, including planning and scheduling, cost management, risk management, change control and performance reporting.
• Experience developing and implementing PMO processes, governance frameworks, reporting standards and management information.
• Ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders across complex, multidisciplinary project environments.
• A strategic mindset combined with a hands‑on approach to building processes and delivering practical outcomes.
• Excellent communication, organisational and leadership skills.
• Current, valid UK Security Check (SC) clearance.

Make a Difference with DBD:

At DBD, we know you're looking for more than just a job - you aspire to make a real impact in the nuclear industry. We offer unique opportunities for growth, empowering you to take influential roles within client organisations.

Our dedicated team collaborates with clients to positively influence projects across Defence, Decommissioning and New Builds. Having doubled in headcount year-on-year, over the past two years, we continue to welcome new, talented individuals to our team.

We're committed to your success. DBD invests in your development and supports your career trajectory in any direction you want to take it.

Join us to play a key role in shaping the nuclear sector's future.

Make a difference today with DBD.

Benefits:

up to 20% bonus, 25 days holiday, enhanced pension, private health insurance, private dental, and more